Page 51 of Rejected By Dragons

Nora looks at me with appraising eyes. "How did you know all of that stuff anyway?"

I wish I knew. My cheeks warm, and I glance around. The whole table is being casual about it, but they're hanging on my answer.

"I don't know," I tell them truthfully. "My parents were big history buffs, and we traveled around a bunch."

That's one hundred percent true, but I know full well that it doesn't begin to encapsulate all the weird memories that came to me from out of nowhere.

I don't have too long to ruminate on it. Amy returns, a fresh pitcher of some sort of deep umber cocktail in hand. "They're doing fifty percent off on pitchers of 'dark and stormy'. It's got rum in it," she says by way of explanation.

"Works for me." I hold up my empty glass.

She fills it for me, and does the same for everyone else. I give it a sip. It's good--mostly ginger beer, but with a twist of citrus and a spicy burn of dark rum.

Freya holds up her drink. "To the darkness," she offers, because that's a totally normal toast.

We all clink glasses anyway, and if a shiver of unease runs through me...well, at least I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

Before long, the MC takes the stage again. He has a piece of paper in his hands. He thanks everybody for showing up, then announces he has the list of winning teams.

"Remember, all y'all," he shouts over the crowd's murmurs of anticipation. "Stanley at the bar does the tallying, and his decisions are final. We won't be having any arguments tonight." He glares at a group in the back. "Right?"

The folks seated by the rear exit grumble their agreement.

"Then without further ado..." The host unfolds the page and flicks it out a couple of times. "In third place we have...The Sleeping Bears!"

Apparently, that was the gang in the back, who cheer. Glad they won't be arguing about the results tonight.

"In second place..."

Amy crosses her fingers on both sets of hands and closes her eyes. Nora leans forward, and Freya sets her glass down.

"The Wolves' Den!"

The wolf shifters near us let loose some howls that are both triumph and disappointment.

Amy squeals. "That must mean..."

"And our champions this evening, my friends...Winged Victory!"

Amy leaps from her seat and raises her arms into the air, and Freya pumps her fists. The wolves beside us offer begrudging congrats.

"Dude, we were awesome tonight," Amy says.

"We were," Nora agrees. Then she shifts her gaze to me. "Pretty convenient that you came in with a ringer, though."

My abdomen sucks in, but I try to play it cool. "I had no idea the questions would be about...you know." I lower my voice. "Shadow Dragons."

"You did know an awful lot about them," Freya muses.

"Which is really cool," Amy insists.

"Yeah." Nora looks at me again, and this time she smiles. "It is super cool."

I release a shaky breath. "Thanks."

"No," Amy says, raising her glass in my direction. "Thank you. We couldn't have won without you."

"I don't know about that..."

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